Defence co-operation, industry & markets
Can EU defence bonds strengthen Europe’s defences?
21 January 2025
Encompass
Europeans urgently need to strengthen their militaries. However, funding European defence is a major challenge.
How to get to an EU-UK security pact
12 August 2024
EU Observer
The UK’s EU reset is fully underway. The European Political Community summit in Blenheim was the perfect platform for Keir Starmer to present the UK as a key ally to its EU neighbours, and Britain’s leaders have been touring European capitals to grease the wheels of diplomacy.
CER Podcast: How is the EU's role in European defence changing?
13 March 2024
Charles Grant and Luigi Scazzieri discuss the EU's role in European defence.
CER Podcast: Europe's defence production challenge
31 January 2024
Camille Grand and Luigi Scazzieri discuss European defence.
Alemania, Rusia y Ucrania: de ‘punto de inflexión’ a ignorar lo esencial
03 February 2023
ES Global
La lentitud de Berlín a la hora de autorizar el envío de tanques Leopard 2 a Ucrania ha sido una mala noticia para este país, la seguridad europea y la propia Alemania.
CER podcast: The Russia-Ukraine crisis as seen from Kyiv and Paris
16 February 2022
Ian Bond speaks to Marie Dumoulin and Khrystyna Parandii about the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
CER podcast: Biden vs Trump: America's choice matters to Europe
28 October 2020
Ian Bond spoke to Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Kori Schake and Rahel Ellehusus about what a second Trump term or a Biden administration would mean for Europe.
Europe tests the waters for a stronger defence policy: EU leaders must agree on where threats to the continent originate
13 August 2020
Financial Times
For the past four years, the EU has trumpeted its plans to invest in defence. This summer’s budget negotiations were a test of its ambitions. Now that the dust is settling, where is EU defence headed?
Faut-il bannir Huawei de la 5G? La valse-hésitation
20 December 2019
Alternatives Economiques
Dans un document stratégique adopté en mars 2017, le gouvernement britannique affirmait sa « claire ambition de faire du Royaume-Uni un leader mondial » dans l’utilisation et le développement de la prochaine génération de technologie mobile.
CER podcast: Europe and Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi
24 April 2019
Sophia Besch asks Beth Oppenheim whether the European-Saudi relationship has changed after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi last October.
The Zeitgeist: German and European security at a crossroads
21 March 2019
In this episode of The Zeitgeist, Dr Jana Puglierin (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik e.V. ) and Sophia Besch (Centre for European Reform ) join Jeff Rathke to talk about the direction Germany’s security policy is taking. They cover four fundamental questions: What is Germany’s role in European security? Are the changes in German policy adequate for the changing international security environment? How are Germany and France seeking to strengthen their co-operation? And how can the United States and Germany manage their frictions in the interest of a stronger transatlantic relationship?
All hands on deck
27 February 2019
Berlin Policy Journal
Concerns about fragmentation shape Berlin’s understanding of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy. That carries risks, especially with Brexit approaching.
Letter to the editor: 'Empty' EU army
23 November 2018
The Times
Sir, Gavin Williamson (report, Nov 20) need not worry about a European army, as the term is empty and misleading.
Deutsche Welle: NATO desperate to avoid rerun of disastrous G7 summit
10 July 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow with the Centre for European Reform (CER), spoke to Deursche Welle about the possibility that a Trump-Merkel clash could derail the summit. "[Trump] is framing the 2 per cent as the golden ticket for any European leaders to get into his good graces, and that's why everyone is so worried. (From -3: 18 mins)
CER Bulletin podcast: Transatlantic relationship; Brexit and financial services; UK-EU defence negotiations
14 June 2018
CER researchers brief podcast listeners on three of the most important topics for Europe this month.
For the first time Europeans are seriously debating EU defence spending
10 May 2018
Smart Thinking
Britain leaving costs the EU money. Currently, there is no defence line in the EU budget, overall EU defence spending is the sum of all member-state spending.
Europäische Verteidigungspolitik: Jetzt geht’s um Resultate!
27 March 2018
Peace Lab
Ob die Gemeinsame Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik der EU wirklich vorankommt, hängt von der neuen Bundesregierung ab.
BBC Radio 4 - A very British battle
12 February 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow at the CER speaks to Caroline Wyatt about the UK’s future defence relationship with Europe after Brexit (from 12:40 mins).
Britische Trümpfe: London wird die Sicherheitspolitik in den Brexit-Verhandlungen nutzen wollen
01 March 2017
German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Premierministerin Theresa May hat signalisiert, bei den Austrittsverhandlungen mit der EU auch Großbritanniens militär- und sicherheitspolitisches Gewicht in die Waagschale werden zu wollen – ein riskantes Spiel für die EU, aber auch für die Briten.
CER podcast: Daniel Keohane on the future of European Defence after Brexit and Trump
28 February 2017
Discussion on how Brexit will affect EU defence co-operation and how the UK can use its special relationship with the US to get a better deal from Europeans.